Molecular Cloud Cores with High Deuterium Fractions: Nobeyama Mapping Survey

TL;DR

This survey maps molecular cloud cores with high deuterium fractions to understand their physical properties and early star formation stages, revealing molecular distributions and their relation to star formation activity.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive mapping of N$_2$H$^+$, HC$_3$N, and CCS in cores with high deuterium fractions, highlighting molecular distribution patterns and their implications for core evolution.

Findings

N$_2$H$^+$ and HC$_3$N distributions align with dust emission

CCS often undetected or surrounds dust peaks

Some CCS emission indicates early star formation stages

Abstract

We present the results of on-the-fly mapping observations of 44 fields containing 107 SCUBA-2 cores in the emission lines of molecules, N$_2$H$^+$, HC$_3$N, and CCS at 82$-$94 GHz using the Nobeyama 45-m telescope. This study aimed at investigating the physical properties of cores that show high deuterium fractions and might be close to the onset of star formation. We found that the distributions of the N$_2$H$^+$ and HC$_3$N line emissions are approximately similar to that of 850-$\mu$m dust continuum emission, whereas the CCS line emission is often undetected or is distributed in a clumpy structure surrounding the peak position of the 850-$\mu$m dust continuum emission. Occasionally (12%), we observe the CCS emission which is an early-type gas tracer toward the young stellar object, probably due to local high excitation. Evolution toward star formation does not immediately affect nonthermal velocity dispersion.